tlennox Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Does anyone even bother? We have continued to feed a mixture of spuds, crab apples and wheat. Not getting huge numbers on it but enough to keep a couple of us who shoot it happy. Planning on shooting this Wednesday evening but if it is still frozen what would people recommend. Leave it, shoot it or what? This is our first year shooting it properly, we have had around 15-20 mallard fighting in and the od teal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pole Star Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Best keep away from frozen ice on ponds at all costs ! just too many sad stories ! . Atb Pole Star . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samyw Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Only drop them onto land do not go on water or send a dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlennox Posted December 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 No danger there guys the pond is a foot deep at best. The dogs were smashing the ice today while I was feeding it and standing up in the water, no deep bits at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pole Star Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 No danger there guys the pond is a foot deep at best. The dogs were smashing the ice today while I was feeding it and standing up in the water, no deep bits at all. So long as you know ! but there have been so many sad stories & one in East Anglia was not too long ago if my memory is correct . Good luck & good shooting . Atb Pole Star Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash it's em Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 I have tried this on a few occasions to only sit there freezing my bits off it seems they can tell its cold so sit on river all night . So when my pond is frozen I sit in front of fire making sure I am not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Wouldn't bother, I'd go to the shore. If I remember correctly I did it once and a couple of teal passed for a look. Fire is definitely the better option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Mostly a waste of time. Find open water or go to the coast. 28 years ago I stepped into what I knew was 9 inches of water to get my dog out of a bush it had got tangled in during a retrieve. Small pond on my mates farm. Had fished and shot it for years. Knew every inch of it - I thought. I vanished and left my hat on top of the water! -5 degrees C - Barber jacket - cartridge belt - wellies. Couldn't get out due the weight of water and shear bank. In water for 25 minutes. Luckily I had a young lad with me. He eventually lowered his legs down the bank and I climbed up him whilst he clung onto the plough with his finger nails - he couldn't swim. Having got me half way up the bank he turned round and pulled me the rest. Damn nearly died that night - twice. Once by drowning and once by cold. Later found the water was 10 feet deep - My mate had used a digger to deepen the pond but worked from the farside so there was no evidence of it on our side - and it was dusk when we arrived. He'd forgotten to tell me! Dog got out OK - with duck! I now have a very healthy respect for ponds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyboy Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Cant be too careful but as a good will gesture fling a bit of grub in for them and leave alone I feed my frozen pond yesterday with barley at the side and some rotten maize cobs and put some barley onto the slats of some crates so it doesn't freeze into the Ice ! Ice was covered in feather and bird **** so plenty still using it even though its frozen over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoggy Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Mostly a waste of time. Find open water or go to the coast. 28 years ago I stepped into what I knew was 9 inches of water to get my dog out of a bush it had got tangled in during a retrieve. Small pond on my mates farm. Had fished and shot it for years. Knew every inch of it - I thought. I vanished and left my hat on top of the water! -5 degrees C - Barber jacket - cartridge belt - wellies. Couldn't get out due the weight of water and shear bank. In water for 25 minutes. Luckily I had a young lad with me. He eventually lowered his legs down the bank and I climbed up him whilst he clung onto the plough with his finger nails - he couldn't swim. Having got me half way up the bank he turned round and pulled me the rest. Damn nearly died that night - twice. Once by drowning and once by cold. Later found the water was 10 feet deep - My mate had used a digger to deepen the pond but worked from the farside so there was no evidence of it on our side - and it was dusk when we arrived. He'd forgotten to tell me! Dog got out OK - with duck! I now have a very healthy respect for ponds. Ouch!!!!.....felt cold just reading this!!!!. You were extremely lucky my friend, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlennox Posted December 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Thanks for the advice guys, I may just give it a miss till the weather warms a little. Heading for the shore would be my choice but I've never tried it, definately up there on the to do list. I much prefer to shoot the wild birds and have found I'm much happier shooting one duck then half a dozen pheasants. Hartlepool wildfowlers are my local club so I think they should be my next port of call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyboy Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 The shore is where it all begins !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.